Wow, that does not make it seem like it was super confidential. JT tried to make it sound like it was this huge confidential investigation and he had to keep it quiet for that. That guy barely even mentions confidentiality, and when he does it is not in the first email. In fact, the guy seems to be more concerned about the confidentiallity of the players and how they would get in trouble then he does with the drug dealer. The overall tone of those emails is definitely trying to keep those kids from getting in trouble, and not about some confidential federal investigation. This was a cover up from JT from day one, anyone who claims otherwise is completely ignorant.

I've been called the songbird of my generation, by those who have heard me. THAT GOOD

This almost seems like a big fat hoax to me. Who writes emails back and forth about something leaving a big old paper trail, but then doesn't DO ANYTHING about it?

If you're going to do it on email, then you DON'T drop the ball or decide to keep it hush-hush. You follow it all to its natural conclusion in a timely fashion, no matter how unpleasant.

If you're planning to sweep it under the rug, then for god's sake get away from your keyboard and figure out another way to get this information. Hopefully without your precious yet vulnerable head coach in the chain.

Phineas: Removing prepositions makes it more condescending.

This, I assume, is the same Doug Archie that is currently Associate AD, Compliance and Camps at (wait for it), your Ohio State University. So, assuming that it's the same Doug Archie, then not only did Tressel know about this, but so did an Associate AD at the school.

That email chain is unbelievable. Is it just me but doesn't it look like the Eddie guys lawyer is the one emailing Tressel? Reference to having Eddie to his office, trying to get back the evidence, and bemoaning the type of people he has to deal with certainly seems to strongly indicate that (not to mention he is very familiar with Eddie's background and cites case numbers). I haven't seen this mentioned so maybe I am stating the obvious.

If Tressel not only covered this up but did it with the aid of an attorney who was blatantly breaking attorney/client privelege it is extremely f*cked up and there is no way he should still be involved in NCAA athletics at all

EDIT: Others have mentioned it was the guy's lawyer so nothing to see here. Move along!

ABA Model Rules 1.6 (and whatever the Ohio equivalent is, I think it is §1.6:400) create the attorney-client privilege. By emailing Tressell (not an attorney or an empoyee of an attorney involved in the representation or potential representation) the attorney-informant violated his professional responsibilities and is subject, and most likely, will face sanctions up to and including disbarrment. I know that this part of the scandal will get lost on a lot of people but, it is an incredibly serious violation.

Well, the threshold question is whether Rife had reason to believe that the source here was his lawyer. At one point, the source says Rife 'asked for his opinion' re the charges he was facing, and there was a face-to-face meeting, but it's hard to say without more information whether there was an atty-client relationship.

This explains why the attorney asked Tressel to keep the information confidential This jock sniffing booster was probably Rife's lawyer. In one email ((4/16/10 at 224 pm) he says Rife was in his office because "He wanted my opinion yesterday on his situation.” Bad grammar aside, that sure sounds like Rife was seeking legal advice from Tressel's pen pal.

It seems likely as not that the lawyer wanted to ingratiate himself with Tressel and so he divulged attorney-client communications. But he did not want to get in trouble and so he asked Tressel to keep it quiet.

Tressel was not protecting his players. It seems more likely he was protecting an unethical lawyer.

Related question. Under what grounds does OSU continue to keep this person's identity a secret?